It was a day to forget in Innayin community Thursday when a wild elephant stormed out of the bush, leaving one man dead and another vanished without a trace.
The first victim, Ibrahim Tijani, never made it home. His body was found mangled in the undergrowth, wounds carved deep by tusk and rage — a grim testament to the elephant’s fury.
But the terror didn’t end there.
As search parties combed the bush, word spread: Alhaji Muhammadu Bingin had crossed paths with the same beast. He hasn’t been seen since.
The attack shattered the quiet of Oke Ogun, Oyo’s vast farmland belt, around midday. Panic spread faster than the news. Farmers abandoned fields. Mothers locked doors. The forest that fed them had turned killer.
Police PRO Olayinka Ayanlade confirmed the carnage. “Upon receiving a distress call, police operatives, in collaboration with local vigilantes and hunters, swiftly mobilised to the scene,” he said.
When they arrived, Tijani lay lifeless in a nearby bush. “Injuries consistent with an animal attack were on his body,” Ayanlade noted.
His remains were reportedly moved to General Hospital, Iwere-Ile.
Then came the second blow. During ongoing search operations, another individual, identified as Alhaji Muhammadu Bingin, was reported missing after an encounter with the same animal. Intensive efforts were as of press time being made to locate him.
The Command says the situation is “being closely managed,” but fear now stalks Innayin.
“Members of the public are strongly advised to avoid the affected area and report any sighting of the animal to security agencies promptly,” Ayanlade warned.
For now, the bush holds two stories: one body recovered, one man still swallowed by the wild. And an elephant, unseen, somewhere beyond the trees.
